Era Of Good Feelings Essay

The Era of Good Feelings, beginning in 1816 with the election of James Monroe as president, directly followed the War of 1812, was a time of nationalism, hope and and confidence in the United States.However, in the shadow of this national pride, different areas of the country began to shift apart in different ways, opening the door to domestic tension. The Era of Good Feeling was both a time of economic growth and political change for the country. This was caused by a surge in nationalistic feelings throughout the United States, as well as growing sectional tensions. The War of 1812 made the American people feel as though they should be aggressive in foreign affairs,which led to the introduction of a protective tariff and the Monroe Doctrine. However, during this time, sectional differences, such as slavery, population, and transportation infrastructure, divided the country, shaping its regions to be quite different from each other. Industry in America initially could not support

The North had a significantly larger population, caused by both the surge in immigrants at the time, as well as the success of business and factories there, creating more jobs. This difference in population meant that the North did not need slavery, and that it supported government ideas that helped business. According to the Congressional Record, in New England and the Middle States, the majority of House votes were cast for the Tariff of 1816, while the majority of the South’s House votes were cast against the tariff (Document 7). These states were clearly in favor of business, while the South who relies on imports and exports, was wholly against it. Because factory jobs were in the North, railroads and steamboats were in vastly more demand in the North than they were in the South, increasing the speed at which a business could move its product, an essential for